Get started with Windows File Explorer and master all the mysteries with the help of these tips and hidden features.
Windows File Explorer is a much more complex tool than it looks. Used daily by millions of people, it contains a large number of functions that are mostly ignored by users.
However, these hidden functions and these unknown parameters can be of great help when they are perfectly mastered. Here’s everything you need to know to use Windows File Explorer like a pro.
1. Use keyboard shortcuts
Windows File Explorer can be almost completely controlled using keyboard shortcuts. While it is difficult to remember them all, knowing the main ones will save you time on a daily basis. Here are some of the most useful.
- Windows + E: open explorer
- Ctrl + N: open a new explorer window
- F11: minimize or reopen the explorer window
- Ctrl + Shift + N: Create a new directory
- Alt + Enter: display the properties of a file or a directory
2. Master multiple selections
While advanced users are well versed in how to select multiple files, those less comfortable with a computer may not know how to select multiple files. The simplest solution is to use the mouse to make a general selection. However, depending on the view used in the explorer, it will not be possible to select exactly the files you need.
To quickly select files one after the other, click the first one, hold down the Shift key, and click the last one. You should have selected all the files between the two items you clicked.
To add more files to a playlist, hold down the Ctrl key and click one by one on the files you want to add to your playlist.
3. Activate a checkbox to select your files
There is another way to make multiple selection of files even easier: by activating checkboxes. To do this, click on the File menu and go to Options.
In the Folder Options window that appears, go to the View tab, scroll to Advanced settings and check the Use checkboxes to select items option.
Validate by clicking on Apply then on OK. You should now be able to make multiple selections in File Explorer by simply checking the boxes displayed in front of each one.
4. Pin directories for quick access
Windows File Explorer displays a Quick Access section in the left column where various key system directories are pinned for you to access them more quickly.
You can add new folders yourself in Quick Access, by dragging and dropping them directly, or by selecting the folder, then clicking the Pin to Quick Access option from the Home ribbon.
5. Rename multiple files at once
Renaming several files by performing a single operation is possible directly from the file explorer.
To do this, select all the elements to rename, then with a right click, choose to Rename them. The name you assign to the first file will be given to all the others, each file also being assigned a number.
6. Delete files without going through the recycle bin
When you decide to delete files from your machine, they are usually sent to the recycle bin and will not be permanently deleted until you have emptied it. However, there is a solution to erase files without going through the trash box.
Select the items to delete, and use the keyboard shortcut Shift + Delete. A confirmation window should appear asking you whether or not you want to delete the file (s) permanently.
7. Compress files on the fly
On Windows, you don’t necessarily need to download and install a third-party utility to compress files. The Microsoft operating system natively embeds this option.
You will find it directly within the right-click context menu, in the Send To menu, where a Zipped folder option is available.
8. Delete the history of the explorer
By default, Windows File Explorer displays recently accessed files, including Quick Access. To deactivate and delete this history, click on the File menu and go to Options.
At the bottom of the Folder Options window that appears, uncheck both options in the Privacy Statement section, and click Clear to delete the Explorer history. Then validate your modifications by clicking on Apply then on OK.
9. Change the size of the preview files
Depending on your preferences, you may have already changed the way files are displayed in Explorer. To change the display, just click on Display, then select the Layout that suits you best.
But it is also possible to modify the display without going through this dedicated menu, by simply holding down the Ctrl key, then scrolling your mouse wheel in one direction or the other.
10. Rotate multiple images at once
If you happen to have several misoriented images in a directory, you can apply a rotation to each of them without having to do it individually. To do this, select the images to rotate, click Image Tools from the toolbar, and choose to Rotate Left or Rotate Right.
11. Choose where the file explorer opens
If you haven’t changed anything, Windows File Explorer opens by default to Quick Access. But it is quite possible to configure File Explorer to open on the workstation instead.
12. Display the preview of a file
Not many users know this, but it is possible to preview files stored on your machine in Windows File Explorer.
To activate it, just use the key combination Alt + P. The file preview should automatically display in a pane to the right of the window.
13. Edit file metadata
In addition to showing a preview of your files in a side pane, Windows File Explorer also knows how to display the metadata of your files and even allows you to edit them.
Select a file and use the keyboard shortcut Shift + Alt + P to view detailed information about a file. You just have to click on each piece of information you want to customize and then click on Save to save your changes.
14. Add information on the detailed display
If you are one of those users who mainly use the detailed file view, you may have noticed several columns of information: name, date, file type, size, etc. But it is possible to display other more detailed information.
To do this, right click on the file information bar (1), and select the other items you want to display (2). Click on Others (3) to access the full list.
You will only have to check the Details you want to appear in Windows File Explorer.
15. Display the recycle bin and the control panel in the explorer
In principle, File Explorer does not, by default, allow you to access the Recycle Bin from the side column.
To correct this lack, right-click on any free area in the left column (at the very top, above Quick Access for example), then in the contextual menu that appears, choose to Show all folders.